Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Specifying Index Section Dividers.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 26, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
As you learn in other WordTips, you create an index by placing the special index field in your document. When you insert the field you can indicate how you want Word to separate the alphabetic sections of your index. There are several choices you can use, but you may need to experiment to find the dividers that are right for you. You specify these dividers by adding the \h switch to your index field. The following table shows some possible settings for this switch.
| Switch | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| \h " " | Sections are divided by a blank line. | |
| \h "A" | Sections are divided by a single letter. | |
| \h "----" | Sections are divided by four dashes (you can use more, if desired). | |
| \h "text" | Sections are divided by whichever text you specify. | |
| \h | Sections will have no divider; they will run together. |
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (6162) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Specifying Index Section Dividers.
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Adding an index to a document is an easy task. There are a couple of ways you can do it, as described in this tip.
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here:
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